NBC hires news division chief from Britain

This undated image released by NBC shows newly named President of NBC News, Deborah Turness. She will be based at the NBC News headquarters in New York and begin her new role on August 5. (AP Photo/NBC)

NEW YORK (AP) — NBC has gone out of the company and out of the country to find a president for its news division.

The network said Monday that Deborah Turness, former editor of ITV News in Britain, will run the news division. Turness replaces Steve Capus, who resigned earlier this year, and will begin her new job in August.

She’ll take over a news division bruised by the “Today” show losing its long-held dominant position in the morning to ABC’s “Good Morning America.” NBC also recently cancelled Brian Williams’ high-profiled newsmagazine, “Rock Center,” after less than two years on the air.

Much of Turness’ experience with the British company has been overseas, but she spent four years as a news producer in Washington during the 1990s.